Witch Darkness Follows (Maeren Series Book 3)

by Mercedes Jade

  “I told you once before—with George—that priming doesn’t work like something you can switch off, sparks. I thought you said you had perfect recall? Was that bragging?”

  “Just feed, if that’s what you want.”

  Geer licked his way down her along her collar bone, parting the over big shirt she had on.

  One button popped.

  “Thank you for the invitation to feed. I’ll have to save that sweet temptation for later. This time, unfortunately, I’m priming you for another of your mates. We need to go have a visit before he ends up dead.”

  The Lion’s Share

  Geer

  Elizabeth was eager underneath him.

  He knew she’d deny it if her other mates asked. Just like he knew with one glimpse at her thoughts, her other mates would be unable to deny her desires.

  The human realm raised witch was modest in stating her needs. She barely understood them, only having been awakened to priming by her other mates recently.

  None of them had gotten her all of the way.

  She was stubborn, and prideful. Half of the time, she was hiding, pretending to be someone else.

  How could she know her own desires when she was faking everything else?

  He wouldn’t let her pretend with him. It would be his pleasure to tease the responses from her body. Guide her into the dark passion that witches enjoyed.

  It had been much too long since he last spent himself between soft thighs, unsure that the weaker witches he’d fed from would survive to serve another if he demanded what his dark magic craved.

  Elizabeth was his gaisa. She was meant to be his match—but he still feared his power was too much to take things further than a few kisses and heavy petting.

  He’d see how she fared with the soul-beasts of her prince mates before he’d let her peer deeper at the dark abyss of his dragon’s heart.

  A stronger bond with her other mates might be the only way to prepare her to bond with Orion.

  His familiar would push her boundaries once he snapped Geer’s leash of carnal-restraint.

  Orion would sink his claim with monstrous fangs pierced through Elizabeth’s soul as he serviced her.

  She could draw on the strength of her mates for the stamina to mate-bond the primal dragon.

  His cock twitched at the thought, but he held the rest of his body still, keeping his dangerous lust from the sweet witch under him.

  She’d have Daemon and George back in her bed soon. This time, the two princes were planning to seduce her together, and they’d succeed.

  Geer hadn’t seen much, but intuition was half of interpreting his prophecies.

  He’d seen this long ago, before he’d even known what Elizabeth would mean to him.

  That meant he had this short interlude, now, to enjoy the affection of his new mate.

  It was the worst timing to have transformed recently and have his form look so young. He felt like the wolf in sheep’s clothing—hiding his true nature.

  The paradox-youth was how dragon-prophets were first identified.

  A slow-down of their aging, sometimes even a short-reversal, in body. Although, it also messed with the mind. Memories lost, some gained—the prophecies.

  Not that he could explain it all to Elizabeth.

  The magic made others forget that he was a prophet, eventually. No one knew why—although, it could be a protective-type of mechanism.

  A way to stop others from trying to abuse his gift of prophecy for their selfish purposes.

  If the magic couldn’t make Elizabeth forget, then maybe something worse would happen.

  He didn’t want to chance telling her, not without more research.

  Besides, she wasn’t only his tonight. He’d had a vision brought on by the dragon’s blood.

  Phillip was in danger.

  Elizabeth might not have bonded strongly to Phillip yet, but Geer knew she would choose to save him.

  His fierce slayer saved random humans out of the kindness of her heart. She fought for those that needed her strength.

  Phillip needed her more than he realized.

  “Who could end up dead?” Elizabeth asked, as he’d predicted. Her mind was full of George and Daemon.

  “Phillip. He’s all alone in the castle. Very vulnerable,” Geer answered.

  “Phillip is mad at me,” Elizabeth said, sounding hesitant. “Are you sure?”

  She pictured Phillip in her head, imagining a big, beastly prince who stalked her from the shadows. He certainly didn’t look weak in her mind.

  “Fairly certain. Can’t reveal my sources, but they’re rarely wrong. Do you really think I’d choose to visit this Phillip when I finally have you in my cave?”

  Elizabeth sighed, but it turned into a gasp as he shifted against her.

  “You have to prime me to help him?” she asked.

  She didn’t sound so burdened by this ‘duty’ as she’d seemed earlier.

  Her brief illness from the laudanum was settled and her body throbbed for completion.

  A witch learned to appreciate the orgasmic relief from a pair of fangs sunk into her primed body.

  Phillip had a reputation known even in Dragos. He’d better live up to it and offer their witch a sweet release on his brother’s bed. The kind of climax that would leave her weak kneed for days.

  “Yes, I’ve primed you, so we can travel to Daemon’s bedroom, and the circle in which you visited Phillip last time. Remember, I was there, too.”

  “You knew about the circle, about George and . . . ?”

  She blushed. How cute.

  Geer growled playfully at her, giving her lips a soft kiss.

  Orion dug claws into his mind, demanding more, but Geer drew back. She wasn’t his feast tonight.

  “Oh, sparks, I can learn a lot through the mate-bond. I’m not limited to seeing through one of your mate’s minds at a time, either. Let’s say, there’s no real secrets between mates.”

  “What about your secrets?” she asked.

  Orion’s claws could shred her mind. He tightened them as Geer added more protections between his mate and his familiar’s cage.

  “The magic has warned you, so heed it, sparks,” Geer chastised. “Play in the mind of your other mates for now. Eventually, I will be able to tell you more. I’ll research it, even though I hate dusty dragon books.”

  “Then, let’s do this,” Elizabeth said, returning his kiss. It was sweet and short as well.

  Damn, if Orion didn’t nearly purr. A grumbled growl that was slightly mollified.

  Geer set the circle he’d drawn around his bed with a thought.

  “Imagine Daemon’s room, the bed . . . and preferably, Phillip. Though I won’t blame you if you scream my name,” Geer teased.

  “Are you going to do what George did . . . ? But I don’t have a dragon tattoo anymore. How will this work?”

  Geer smirked. “Have your other mates been so remiss in their attentions? You do know how priming works? I’m going to prime you to power your connection to Daemon’s circle, which is already attuned to you. All you need to do is feel, gaisa.”

  “No dragon tattoo, necessary?”

  “I’m the dragon. More than enough magic, once you connect to the circle.”

  “So, Daemon’s familiar . . . ?”

  “Helped power the spell. Any more questions? You must be the only witch that could actually wear down a priming with all of her talk,” Geer complained.

  Then he touched her chest and she moaned.

  “Perhaps not?”

  Elizabeth’s blues sparked with lightning.

  “I’m primed. Do you still need to be on top?”

  Geer shook his head and flipped their positions.

  “No, not really. Would you rather take the lead?”

  She was sprawled on top of him, her legs wide open and her naked pussy pressed against his aroused cock.

  His pants were too tight, but she’d refused to let him discard them like his shirt earlier.


  “Ride me, sparks. We’ll have to drive you higher than last time. You’re deep in a dragon mountain, far from the castle. Your connection is weak to the circle.”

  He expected protest, but Elizabeth clasped her hands on his chest and shifted her hips.

  “Like this?” she innocently asked.

  He bucked.

  “I think you have the hang of it,” he said, his hands climbing the back of her thighs, under her big shirt.

  He gave her naked ass a swat before grabbing on and squeezing.

  Elizabeth moaned and rocked her hips.

  “Not too young, definitely full-grown,” she mumbled as she humped his cock.

  Geer gave her a satisfied twist of his lips.

  Damn right, he was old enough to fuck her.

  “Where do you like to be touched?” she asked, moving her hands on his chest.

  “Everywhere,” he answered.

  She flicked his nipples, one and then the other, using a little fingernail. She scratched down his abs. Rocked her hips. Dug her nails into his flanks.

  “Are those scales?”

  He thrust his hips up, holding her by her curvy ass as he ground his cock against her pussy.

  It was a decent distraction. Enough of one that he could pull back his hint of a transformation.

  Not good.

  He needed better control than a damn dragonling going through puberty. This had to be a side effect of transforming too many times, too close together.

  “Focus on Daemon’s room and Phillip,” Geer told her.

  They transported the moment he’d reminded her.

  She had her eyes closed, and rapidly opened them again, in a disoriented rush.

  Geer pulled her down, to lie on top of his chest.

  “Shh, sparks. Give it a moment. I don’t think there’s a bucket nearby here.”

  Bed Mates

  Phillip

  Elizabeth was back in Daemon’s bed—and she wasn’t alone.

  Phillip couldn’t hesitate. It didn't matter who had accompanied Elizabeth, although he could definitely tell a male was on the bed with her.

  It meant one more person to question, once he had them both captured.

  He wiggled slightly on his belly to get out from underneath the bed, reaching with his hand, holding chalk, to put the final glyph to close the circle’s trap.

  A shock ran through his body from the chalk to his fingertips and all the way down to his toes.

  He bit his tongue, cursing. The element of surprise was wasted.

  His spell had backfired.

  “I’ve warded against locking us in here. Why don't you come out from under the bed and help me with our mate?” asked the male companion with Elizabeth.

  “Prince Phillip?” Elizabeth called, sounding less certain than the male.

  Was she frightened?

  Had the male forced her here under duress?

  Who the hell was he?

  “What weapons?” Phillip asked, air-locking the room.

  He rolled out fully from underneath the bed.

  The room wasn't as dark as he had expected. He must have fallen asleep, while waiting with his trap set.

  “Weapons? We came from bed. We’re practically naked. One shirt and one pair of pants between us. The magic doesn't really allow for much more to be transported than simple clothing,” the male explained.

  That made sense. Phillip still would be smart to play a wary prince, caught off guard and out of his element.

  He was used to downplaying his beastly form as tamed. The flirt who couldn’t ever be taken too seriously. Someone who others would let their guard down around because he wasn't perceived as a threat.

  “I’m wearing the shirt,” Elizabeth called down to where he was still lying on the floor.

  A growl tore out of Phillip’s throat. He sprung up, his hands grabbing the bed edge and pushing his big body up all the way in moments.

  Elizabeth had transported scantily dressed to Daemon’s bed again. This time, she was still riding the male that had primed her.

  He looked young and foolish.

  The male smiled a cocky grin at Phillip and ran a provocative hand over Elizabeth’s barely covered ass.

  “Get off of him!” Phillip bellowed.

  Elizabeth rolled her head back and moaned his name, begging.

  “Phillip, please, join us.”

  The male slid the bottom of her shirt up over her hips and held it bunched in his fist, where her spine met her bottom, exposing the ripe curves of her bare ass.

  “Elizabeth? Do you need . . . to be served?” Phillip asked, grabbing his cock and squeezing the base hard.

  He’d been naked for the binding spell that he’d prepared—not that he’d expected this!

  His mate looked like she wanted him to bind her to him with his body.

  Phillip’s cock jerked in his hand, his squeezing barely holding back his reaction.

  To almost spill his seed just at the sight of a witch in the storm of passion!

  How gauche.

  This wasn’t the first witch he’d caught riding another male, although Elizabeth wasn’t technically in his harem yet.

  Phillip was generous with his witches. He enjoyed sharing. There were too many in his harem to please all on his own, and enough guards that appreciated the rich taste of harem witch blood to service them when Phillip was busy elsewhere.

  Elizabeth raised her bared bottom, arching her back.

  “He’s fucking naked, Geer!” she screeched.

  That didn’t sound half as enthusiastic as she looked.

  Phillip blinked.

  An image of Elizabeth crouched over the male—his hands wrapped around her twisting, fighting body—flickered with the arching seductress begging him to take her from behind.

  “Stop using illusion on him!” Elizabeth yelled.

  She turned her head, her wide blue eyes catching sight of Phillip as he froze—one knee on the bed, ready to join them.

  Opening her mouth, she took a vicious bite of the other male’s forearm.

  The male’s hips jerked as he swore several Maerenian curses. The pain of her bite was crossing with his pleasure, his eyes rolling back in his head as he unintentionally thrust up against her primed—naked—pussy.

  She humped the male under her hard, making him shout his release . . . in his pants.

  Poor Elizabeth didn’t get the same climax, primed without the fanged bite her magic demanded to give her a release.

  Phillip practically leapt the bed to get at her side.

  He stroked a hand down her back, then roped black fire around both wrists of the male—who was distracted by his sudden release.

  Phillip yanked the male’s hands over his head, fastened to the headboard.

  Elizabeth’s dainty fangs tore from the forearm she’d bitten.

  She moaned under Phillip’s soft touch on her back, her hips rising again. She was too far gone to pet down.

  “Is this real or illusion?” Phillip asked.

  "Real, although I barely had to use any illusion. If you hadn’t frightened our mate by trying to lock her in the circle last time, she’d beg for you for real—”

  “How are you in my head?” Phillip asked, staring daggers down at the male.

  He shifted his knee to sit squarely over the tight pants covering male’s sensitive cock and balls, pushing for a response to his question.

  The cock under his knee was still semi-hard and the male made a groan that wasn’t all pained.

  "Stop playing with me when we both know what you really want. Satisfy our mate. She needs your fangs—not your cock. She’s got human sensibilities, unfortunately."

  “You started this, Geer,” Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.

  She took a calming breath, her hips undulating against the presence of Phillip’s hard male body behind her.

  Although she appeared flustered, she wasn’t pushing him away.

  “I’m sorry, Prince Philli
p. Give me a moment for control. We’re only here because Geer said you’re in danger.”

  “I’m all tied up at the moment, sparks. Perhaps you will let Phillip use his fingers and fangs in your service? We can save the talk of threats for after you’re sated,” Geer suggested.

  Phillip sighed with frustration.

  “Not without her request. I won’t force myself upon her, and she’s turned me down more than once.”

  "Why not be honest with your mate? He’s suffering,” Geer said.

  He appeared to be speaking into Phillip and Elizabeth’s mind at once.

  "Prince Phillip, I—I actually—”

  “You can speak in my head, too?” Phillip asked, interrupting.

  He had heard them both in his mind, clear as if they had spoken out loud.

  "Yes, using lightning. Although, there’s also a mate-bond between the two of us. It’s why I could use your magic—”

  “—last time, when you opened my circle. I’ve read about shared power between mates,” Phillip said, finishing for her.

  His hand swept down lower down her back, resting where the edge of her shirt hung over the top of her bottom. The overlarge shirt was still bunched a bit there from when Geer had been fisting the material.

  “I need more than your magic this time, Prince—”

  “Phillip, just Phillip,” he interrupted her once more.

  She growled at him.

  He shifted his knee on the male—Geer—thinking it had been an aggressive sound from him, but no—his little mate was making that rough noise.

  “Elizabeth?”

  She rocked her hips up against him hard.

  His balls responded to the sudden feel of her soft bottom by tightening as his cock jerked between her bum cheeks.

  “I’m making a fucking request, as you advised. The priming is too far gone. Give me your fangs, Phillip, or free Geer!” she ordered.

  "You heard the witch. Don’t fumble this, second prince mate."

  Phillip showed Geer quite a lot of bloodlust swollen fang—still hidden from Elizabeth, as he was behind her—and took the mouthy, frustrated witch in hand.